3 Miles Bridges trades that could elevate or sink the Hornets

The Jazz angle is pretty interesting in this deal. Danny Ainge has never been afraid to toe the line between buying and selling, and it seems like that is the case yet again this season. The team is playing well and has a legitimate shot to make the playoffs, yet their main focus is still clearly on the future and the current roster isn’t near title contention.

This basically comes down to Ainge’s vision of the team, and whether he thinks Bridges can be a long term part of that vision. For one, that would mean the Jazz would have to be confident in re-signing Bridges after this season. Adding him as a rental for this year makes zero sense for Utah. But if they are confident, he could be a viable core piece along with Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Walker Kessler, and Taylor Hendricks.

The “two timelines” thing is always tricky, but there’s plenty of reason to believe Bridges would be a great fit in Utah. Furthermore, the Jazz have 14 first round picks between now and 2029, and they simply cannot use them all. At some point they are going to have to consolidate some of those picks and turn them into actual players.

For the Hornets, this would be the ideal team to deal with, due to their litany of draft equity. The Hornets should try to push for multiple 1st round picks, even if they are protected, but ultimately if they can come away with a solid 1st and a 2nd, or something along those lines they should be happy. This is likely the best deal they can hope for.

Yurtseven has had some decent moments in both Miami and Utah, but has struggled to stick in an NBA rotation. But the young 7 footer should have a much longer runway in Charlotte, and the Hornets should be taking fliers on as many young bigs as possible.